November 02, 2012
Like 80s-style heavy metal, the U.S. “war on drugs” and intervention in Central America just never goes out of fashion. Or does it? Two new reports from journalist Kaelyn Forde for The Real News examine how Operation Anvil, so recently described in New York Times feature articles and CNN puff pieces as an important new offensive in the U.S.’ spreading “war on drugs,” has become highly controversial and – for now, at least – suspended. The reasons, of course, are the May 11 shooting deaths of four local villagers under circumstances that remain cloudy, and the downing of two planes by Honduran forces. Both of these led to outrage from members of the U.S. Congress [PDF] and the suspension of both radar support to the Honduran government and of Operation Anvil. (See our investigative report, co-authored with Rights Action, on the May 11 incident, and our related previous blog posts here, here, and here.)
But while Operation Anvil may be on hold for the time being, Forde’s interviews with experts such as American University professor David Vine, COFADEH’s Berta Oliva and Rights Action’s Annie Bird describe a growing, more permanent U.S. presence in Honduras:
HONDURAN ARMY COLONEL RONALD RIVERA (SUBTITLED TRANSL.): Here we have the Caratasca Naval Base, and they are working in an almost permanent way with the North American navy, engaging in operations and exercises.
FORDE: It’s one of three forward operating bases the U.S. has constructed in la Moskitia since the 2009 military coup.
DAVID VINE, AUTHOR AND PROFESSOR: They have been constructed in a number of places, especially on the Northern coast, especially in la Moskitia, in areas that have become the center of growing conflict, growing drug trafficking and growing interest from business interests as well.
Vine goes on to describe how:
The 2009 Wikileaks cable from the U.S. embassy in Tegucigalpa talked about a large scale project, an unprecedented project, for la Moskitia. A public-private partnership that the United States military was really leading, but in coalition with a range of other U.S. government agencies for la Moskitia, to bring together public–meaning U.S. government and Honduran government–and private entities, mostly for profit companies. Like General Electric, and a large real estate development firm.
(The cable to which Vine refers is available here.)
Forde, it is worth noting, is one of the only journalists to file investigative video reports from the Moskitia region since a joint DEA-Honduran Tactical Response Team operation killed four people, injured several others, and terrorized a village. (See Kaelyn’s earlier report on that incident here.)
President Obama, the 80s called. They want their drug policy back.
